


Plant Boy Falls in Love

by Space_RangerStarr



Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: College AU, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-10-26 17:11:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10791057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_RangerStarr/pseuds/Space_RangerStarr
Summary: Anthony J. Crowley is a timid, misunderstood college kid who tries to hide his insecurities and enjoy his time on earth even if it gets him in trouble. Ezra McPhail is an RA who likes to do things by the book and learns not to judge them by their covers.





	1. Anthony's Misfortunes

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own these characters.

     Just as the door was closing Anthony realized that he had left his key inside. He spun around and tried to catch it but was too late and let out a heavy sigh. He wondered if he should try to get his roommates to open it for him again; he knew at least one of them was in there, but he didn't get along with either of them very well. It was just the three of them. Whoever was supposed to be in the room next to his, well, he had no clue what happened to them, but the time he had moved in the room was still empty and they had confirmation that the guy was never coming. That worked for him because it meant he got to take the bigger room and didn't have to share a bathroom with anyone, but on the other hand it also meant that he was alone in his constant battle against the Roomates From Hell.      

     As he stood there contemplating, his hand hovering in front of him, just an inch from the door, he turned and peered down the hallway. Well, he could go to the RA, tell them he got locked out.... He considered for a moment, then scrunched his nose up in an expression of distaste. Nah, he'd just have to suck it up and knock. He took a deep breath and knocked a couple of times, cursing under his breath at how much that hurt, though he'd never admit it. Maybe knocking with his knuckles wasn't the best idea. How do men knock? Real men pound on doors, they don't knock. If he wanted to be cool he'd pound. He puffed his chest out a bit and pounded. "Hey! I left my key!" He paused for a moment, listening, before trying again. He could hear the shower going. Maybe they couldn't hear. He sighed again and gave up, deciding to deal with it later. For now he needed to go study, though he'd never admit to that either.     

     At the library he found his usual spot, hidden among the North Stacks where nobody ever dared to venture. There was a row of desks along the wall and it had its own printer, which was nice. It meant he never had to leave the safety of his little hidden corner of the world. He laid his notebook out next to his textbook and gave his homework a good ole college try-heh-before feeling like his brain was about to drop out of his ears. He rubbed his temples and groaned. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't he be good at something for once? All he wanted...was to be accepted. Add that to the list of things he wouldn't admit. Really pretty much everything about him, everything that was truly him, he hid from the world. He had learned the hard way that being who he really was didn't get him anywhere in life except misunderstood, mocked, and cast out. He was very timid so for him taking the initiative to change was not as easy as simply covering up his "flaws" with characteristics that he considered to be associated with cool, confident people. He couldn't get enough of the James Bond franchise, and quite idolized the popular British spy. He even had one of those old bullet-through-the-window decals on his car.     

     So as he sat there in the dusty old abandoned corner of the library, staring out the window that probably hadn't been opened-or cleaned-since the school was founded, he began to think about his car, and James Bond, and how easy it would be to just run away. But what was the use in someone that doesn't have a place to belong running away? Where would he run to? What was out there for him? No, it was better he just try his best to make the most of where he was, or at least do it in his own way. He nodded a bit to himself as he decided that yes, that was what he was going to do, and promptly packed up his things and sauntered out.       

     It was about lunch time now, and he didn't have a class until two, so he headed for the dining hall. He kept his sunglasses on no matter where he was, and found this to be quite a comfort. Most people thought he wore them to seem cool. Others thought he might be hiding something. They were both partially true. He was hiding, and he did like the bonus of them making him look cool, but in the end the glasses really served as more of a shield. A way to separate himself from the others. To hide his insecurities behind a mask, where he didn't feel so vulnerable and raw from the pain he's already suffered. The pain he'd quite like to forget about. The pain probably nobody would believe anyways, because after all, how could someone like him feel? People often made assumptions about him, and he had learned to just roll with it. It was easier to become what people thought you were than to try to change their perception of you.    

 ***    

     Unfortunately the dining hall was packed at that time. Classes were out, it was lunch break for everyone. Abandoning the dining hall (he wasn't particularly hungry anyways), Anthony headed to the gaming lounge, checked out an X-Box, and waited for the crowd to die down. He was always pretty perceptive with these things and seemed to have a keen sense of peoples movements. It was something he had sort of picked up by observing, and made his occasional small pranks quite effective. He headed upstairs right on time and decided to go with a burger. Nice, simple, and terrible for you. Perfect. "He took his plate to a small table and ate alone, listening to The Best of Queen. He could have sworn he used to have more music on his phone, but even when he downloads more all he ever seems to have is The Best of Queen, an album not improved by his crappy headphones. At this point, he's kind of stopped caring; he knows the words to the entire album, and if he ever had enough guts to try karaoke he'd definitely kick ass."      

     It was almost two by the time he finished eating so he headed over to class, so he figured he'd walk nice and slow. After all it was a rather picturesque campus, and and enjoyed walking through the woods. He had found the fasted as least traveled paths within his first few weeks there and always used them. Despite being quicker they were still long enough, and meant he didn't have to walk through groups of foreign exchange students who stood around gossiping in their native languages as if nobody could understand them. He got to the classroom, on time but hung back until about ten after the start time so that he wouldn't look too eager. In fact he wasn't, he was just bored and had locked himself out of his room so it wasn't like he had had anything better to do. We couldn't leave campus, because his car keys were with his room key on the kitchen table in his suite. 

***      

     After class Anthony tried once again to get his Roomates' attention. Once again he was pretty sure they were in there yet he got no answer. He stood there for a couple of minutes staring at the door. In reality he could probably pick the lock. It shouldn't be too hard. What was really holding him back was the fact that he didn't want to go back in there. He wanted an excuse to not have to be around his Roomates. Even if he was in his own room, the walls were incredibly thin, they were incredibly loud, and tended to have friends over to all hours of the night, so he rarely ever got enough sleep. He sighed heavily and turned on his heel, marching down the hall to the RA's room. Knocking on the door, he bit his lip slightly and stared at one of the flyers on the door intently, tapping his foot lightly. After a couple of moments the door opened, causing him to stumble back a bit. He hadn't actually expected anyone to come to the door, so he hadn't been prepared to deal with finding himself face to face with the taller, paler guy standing in front of him now. It just occurred to him that he had never actually seen his RA since he skipped out on all the mandatory floor meetings.       "Oh, um...hello" the taller boy adjusted his glasses. "Can I help you?"    

     He bit his lip, looking down the hall on either side of him. Too far to run for it without the other having to watch him flail all the way down the hall until he was out of sight. That certainly wouldn't be good for his reputation. "Yeah, I....I just got locked out of my room, is all." He shrugged a bit, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans, still not looking at the other directly.       

     "Oh dear. Well, I can call security fo-"        

     He quickly cut him off, "No! I mean, that's fine. It's fine, whatever. Not a big deal. I'll figure it out. Dunno why I bothered to come here."      

     The other frowned a bit, "Well it's quite alright. That is what I'm here for..." Though to be quite honest he had taken the chance to be an RA for the single room, hoping that he could avoid having to actually deal with people for the most part. "Well, is there anything..."    

      "I'll just go. Thanks," he shrugged and turned, heading back to his room.      

     The RA stared after him, a bit perplexed, before slowly closing his door. Odd. He went back to his reading in the chair by the window and the sad little dead plant in a cup. Suddenly it all clicked and he found himself thinking about the other, wondering if he ever got into his room okay. He made a mental note to go check, but much like his cocoa which was now cold, that was soon forgotten. 


	2. Plant Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double chapter post! Yay! Hopefully these two are enough for y'all to get interested. There is more where that came from, and the rest of it in the works. So if there's enough demand (to be honest even if there isnt) they'll be another chapter at least to be posted soon enough~ Please give me feedback on plot and writing!

_It was a bright day. The sky was clear, the air was warm and there was a slight breeze. The trees swayed slightly, rustling their leaves. Ezra McPhail was walking to his dorm, nose in a book as always. Which is why he almost jumped out of his pants when someone suddenly called to him. To him? People usually didn't talk to him. He did a good job of making himself seem too busy and uninterested. Not that he was unkind, he just really preferred not to be bothered, and wasn't that great with human interaction anyways. His parents weren't great with communication, nor were they very hands on, so it wasn't much of a surprise that Ezra, though naturally rather independent because of this, was also not the biggest people person._

_He glanced up from his book, really more peering over it at whoever had called out to him. There were two people standing off to the side of the pathway in the grass. By their feet were several shallow wooden crates filled with various materials._

_"Hi!," one of the people called out to him again, taking advantage of having his attention briefly. "Would you like a plant? We're from the horticulture club and for Earth Day we're planting flowers. These are easy to take care of, you just have to give it sunshine and water."_

_"And be stern," the other person spoke up in a serious tone of voice. Ezra glanced over him. He was shorter than he, slender, with dark hair and good cheekbones, a slightly olive completion and dark sunglasses which hid his eyes. He looked a bit disinterested, but it came off as a bit awkward. Like he was trying to appear like the sort of cool guy who wouldn't stand around trying to get people to plant flowers, but if he did he would somehow make it cool. He didn't quite succeed with that._

_"I'm....I'm sorry, what was that you said?"_

_The boy shifted a bit, looking down, "You know if you're tough with them they'll grow better. At least that's what I've heard...on the radio."_

_"Oh. I always thought you were supposed to play classical music for them."_

_The smaller boy snorted, "Don't torture them."_

_Ezra frowned slightly, "Well now, I-" he was cut off as the other waved him off, bending down and motioning for him to follow._

_"Look, just take this cup and fill it with dirt," he handed a cup to Ezra, who took it carefully, scooping some dirt into it. "Good. That's enough. Now, you put a seed in. It has to be buried..." Lean fingers took a seed and pushed it down into the dirt, gently patting it over. "There. Now just put it in a window and water it."_

_Ezra looked down at the cup and nodded, standing, "Right....well, thank you. It is good that you're looking after the planet and all."_

_The first guy to have spoken shot him a friendly smile and thanked him for his time and told him when and where their meetings were in case he ever wanted to join. He must have been the club president. Ezra smiled politely and thanked them for the plant, then finished his walk to the dorm, glancing back one time before going inside. There was something interesting about that young man in the dark sunglasses. He wasn't sure quite what, but he wondered if he'd see him around._


	3. So We Meet Again

     The new semester started and Anthony started it with sub par effort as usual. He was ten minutes late to class, sauntering in with Starbucks in hand, munching on a cookie and sipping from a venti frappuccino. He plopped down in a seat in the back and didn't bother to get out any notebooks or pencils. He did bother to put his feet up on the table. Nobody acknowledged his entrance, most of them having just made it in time anyways and nobody really caring either way what anybody else did. Unfortunately, though, they would soon have to care, as the professor split them all into groups that would work together on projects throughout the semester.  
     Anthony was annoyed. He did, however, try to see the silver lining I'm the fact that he could possibly manage to slip by without doing much by pulling the irresponsible undependable guy in the group card. Hopefully there wouldn't be another guy who refused to do work and was mysteriously difficult to get in touch with in the group. But little did he know that he would end up with a different problem entirely. No, he wouldn't have to worry about survival of the least fit, or even about having to do any work. The problem did not lie in the work part of it, but in the social aspect which he had been hoping to avoid entirely.  
      When they received their group assignments he did not immediately recognize one particular name on his list. He really barely glanced over it and just waited for his group members to find him-or maybe not, of he was really lucky. Things took an odd and interesting turn when the tall RA from his dorm sat in the chair next to him, smiled, and offered his hand in introduction.  
     "Hello again," Ezra pushed his wire rimmed glasses up his nose, though they really didn't need lunch adjustment. It was just a nervous habit. Not that he was nervous. Was he nervous? Goodness, he shouldn't be nervous. He had no reason to be, surely. ...Right? Perhaps he did, as his introduction was met with silence. He pushed further, trying to break the ice, "I don't believe we've actually been introduced. I'm Ezra McPhail. Your RA. You may remember me from that day you were locked out. I do hope you got back in alright. Oh, and also, you were the plant boy."  
     Anthony raised one eyebrow slightly at that. At first he was slightly taken aback, a frown about to tug at his lips, but curiosity took over. This guy didn't seem to be teasing or mocking him. In fact, he seemed quite proud of his ability to peg him as the 'plant boy'. "Plant boy? Oh, you think you're funny, do you? And here I thought my name was Anthony." He resisted the urge to smirk; he wanted to see how the other would react. He liked pushing people's buttons.  
     Ezra did frown at that. He became a bit flustered, "Oh, dear, I-I didn't mean to offend you. I simply meant that I removed you from Earth Day toward the beginning of the year."  
     Now at this Anthony did drop the act a bit and furrowed his brow, confusion showing through. "You remembered that?" He didn't think himself too memorable. Not that he didn't want to be. After all he could really use some recognition. He was pretty clever, if he may say so himself. In reality he really was quite brilliant and a whiz with technology, but that came so naturally to him that he didn't really see it as something to brag about. What he did brag about were his silly pranks. Not pranks like the frat boys would pull, but simpler, subtler pranks that really only he would get any amusement from. Like gluing coins to the sidewalk and waiting in a nearby cafe for someone to walk by and try to pick it up.  
     "Well...should I not have?" To be fair it wasn't actually like him to remember such things. People weren't exactly his strong suit. "You made...quite an impression."  
     "What kind of impression, exactly?"  
     "Oh, well..." Ezra floundered a bit, and Anthony enjoyed watching him squirm. "I just mean that, I thought you were a bit....interesting."  
     "Interesting? What is that supposed to mean?"  
     At this point Ezra was getting a bit frustrated, as he was t even quite sure himself. He huffed a bit and adjusted his glasses once more, turning away from the grinning boy beside him and looking toward the front of the room. "Oh. I don't know where our other group mate is." This fact took his mind off of Anthony for the time being, so he went with it. "I shoulda go talk to the professor."  
     Anthony did not protest, he simply rolled his eyes and leaned back, interlacing his fingers behind his head and crossing his feet on the desk. He watched keenly as the tall intellectual went up to the professor, showing him the list and looking a bit concerned. The professor looked over the roster, then replied to Ezra. Ezra nodded and turned to head back. He slid back into the seat next to Anthony. "It appears that the other person in our group has withdrawn from the class."  
     "So it's just us then," Anthony observed.  
     "Yes...it appears so," Ezra nodded. He wasn't sure how the other felt about this. He wasn't sure how he felt about it either. He had intended to just do all the work himself, being too much of a perfectionist to be comfortable allowing others to have any hand in it. He wasn't quite sure how this would work out, or what to expect now. He also wasn't sure why he began to crave the smell of Anthony's cologne or spend far too much time wondering what his eyes looked like under those sunglasses. Really, who wears sunglasses all of the time? This boy certainly was mysterious.... And maybe a little something more. But what, exactly, Ezra had yet to find out.

     


	4. Cocoa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anthony doesn't like to talk about his emotions, but something about this RA makes him feel....safe. And maybe, just maybe, he found someone he can trust.

     Anthony figured he could make a half decent actor, because he does a pretty good job of hiding how insecure he is. At least, he thought so. But sometimes it was rather trying. This was one of those times.

     "Are you actually doing homework?" Hastur sneered.

     "Look at that, Ligur. He's doing his work. Only nerds do their work. Are you a nerd, Crawly?"

     "It's Crowley" Anthony corrected, trying his best to keep cool. He had come to his room to escape their taunts earlier when they were in the dining hall and had pushed him into the wall, causing him to lose his lunch. Literally...he dropped it, then left hungry because he wasn't about to go back and try to get another one.

     "Right. _Crowley_ " Ligur repeated, in a mocking tone.

     "Well we best leave the little nerd alone to his homework. We wouldn't want to ruin his concentration now would we?" Hastur snickered.

     "What ever happened to good ole fashioned slacking off?" Ligur shook his head.

     Anthony sighed and stood up, shoving his things in his bag and throwing it over his shoulder, "Who said I was doing homework? It's just, a little experiment I'm performing. A side project if you will."

     "Oh, is that right?" Hastur questioned.

     "Yes. And in fact I've got to go and implement the next stage of my plan, so if you don't mind," he walked to the door. Not looking back, he opened it and waved a hand behind him, "Ciao".

     Once the door closed he let out a breath of relief and glanced down the hallway. He moved in the direction of Ezra's room without even thinking. He lifted his hand to knock and froze, fist hovering above the door. For a moment he wondered what he was even thinking. They were two totally different people, from totally different backgrounds. They could never get along. They shouldn't. It was ridiculous. Maybe so, but still he found himself picking the lock after receiving no answer.

     Anthony stepped into the dark dorm, certain that the other wasn't there considering. He glanced around, his eyes adjusting to the darkness rather quickly. He closed the door and headed to the chair in the corner, plopping himself down in a rather undignified way. He glanced up at the window and noticed a familiar yet rather pathetic looking plant. It was dead as a door nail, yet for some reason there was a Popsicle stick stuck in the dirt with a string tying the poor little plants stem to it. It seemed as if Ezra wasn't giving up hope. That or he had no clue how plants worked. Maybe both. Either way, it intrigued him. And, maybe made him just a tiny bit happy...

***

     Ezra heaved open the door to his dorm room with a sigh of relief. Finally, he was alone and could relax without fear (for the most part) of being bothered. Though boy was he in for a surprise when he looked up and saw a certain dark haired olive skinned boy in his chair. The bespectacled boy jumped a bit but strangely, wasn't frightened or awed at the fact that there was someone in his dorm which he shared with no one else, and to which nobody else had a key. He wasn't surprised, because it was-

     "...Anthony?"

     "Oh, hey," he looked up from the notebook in his lap, "you're back."

     Ezra quirked one perfectly sculpted eyebrow up in reply to that. He acted as if this was perfectly normal. Sighing, he walked over to the other. "My dear boy, how- I mean....well, why are you here?"

     Anthony looked at his books, then back at the other. "I, uh....just needed somewhere quiet to...study."

     "Study? Then why didn't you just go to the library?"

     The shorter boy bit his lip and sighed, moving to stand, "You're right, sorry. I shouldn't have come here."

     "N-No, no! That's not what I meant. I was just...surprised to see you. Really, it's alright. I'm not mad," Ezra assured the other, gesturing for him to sit back down and then moving over to the cabinets, "Would you like some hot cocoa?."

     "Uh...sure. Yeah, thanks."

     Ezra shot a warm smile back at the other and began preparing the drinks. Anthony watched him in slight confusion, wondering why he was being so nice to him even though he had just broken into his room. Though, wasn't that why he had done so in the first place...? He sighed and rubbed his temples, then adjusted his sunglasses.

     "Do...do you mind if I ask you a question?" Ezra inquired tentatively.

     "What kind of question?"

     "Nothing big, I was just...wondering why you always wear those sunglasses. Even inside."

     Anthony shrugged. "It's a part of my look," he lied.

     "Oh. Well, then why do you need them now? Not to be rude, but I don't really care about your 'look'. I believe it's what's inside that counts."

     Anthony resisted the urge to roll his eyes, even though the other wouldn't be able to see them. "Yeah. But, still. Gotta keep up the appearances. Besides, I don't really know you that well."

     "It seems you know me well enough to break into my room."

     He flinched, "Yeah, I guess you've got a point there..."

     Ezra walked over with two mugs and sat down on the edge of the coffee table, handing one to his guest. "Well, now that you're here, I might as well help you with the assignment. After all, we are partners."

     "Right....partners..." It felt weird for Anthony to say that word, but oddly it didn't feel quite so weird saying it in reference to this guy. He watched the other as he carefully explained the concepts and cited the readings with exact page numbers even without looking. There was something about him... Though Ezra was nothin like the sort of person he'd normally hang around with, well there was a softness to him but he wasn't a pushover. He was sharp and witty, and Anthony was certain that if he didn't have the older boy's trust at least a little he would t be sitting her right now drinking hot cocoa while the other's got cold. He also thought there wouldn't be a dying plant taped to a stick in the window, either. Maybe...just maybe...this guy was something....special.


End file.
